The appointments for LA are coming in, but I will be honest, they are slower than previous years. Not dead. Just slower. And as someone who has enjoyed a full diary every year so far, I notice the difference. The reason is not a mystery. There are well over 300 vendors on that floor, and…
We get asked to help with inventory problems more often than you might think. A line that overran, a buyer who pulled out, a warehouse that needs clearing. It is part of the job, and most of it is straightforward. What is not straightforward is the company you are asked to keep while doing it….
The numbers are out, and they deserve more than a passing glance. Circana published US toy market data for the first four months of 2026 last week. Dollar sales up 13% year-on-year. Unit sales up 5%. Average selling price up 7%. In a discretionary retail environment where most categories are under pressure, that is a…
After twenty years working in B2B, I’ve come to believe that business relationships are the most valuable asset a company has. A relationship in this trade takes years to build. Not months. Years. It takes showing up at the same fairs, following through on what you said you’d do, being honest when something goes wrong,…
It’s Songkran in Bangkok. Three days, not one. The whole city turns into a water fight that nobody asked to join but everyone is participating in regardless. The authorities have tried to designate alcohol-free zones this year. I’ll believe that when I see it. I’m staying indoors. Getting soaked is part of the tradition and…
Three months ago, our landlord asked us to stay. Ako & sila, the fashion jewellery boutique my wife Jovelyn runs, had reached the end of its contract on one of its locations. The landlord liked us. He offered half rent to keep us on. We said yes. December was profitable. January was profitable. February was…
Pop Mart just dropped their 2025 annual results. Revenue up 185% to 37.1 billion yuan (USD 5.1 billion). Adjusted net profit up 284%. Overseas markets now account for over 40% of total sales. The market did not applaud. The stock fell over 20%. The reason is worth understanding. Labubu alone generated 14.2 billion yuan (USD…